Meet Haywyre. Hailing from oceanside Vancouver, Haywyre is about pushing boundaries and resetting the rules of the game. Slowing down the BPM, Mat Zo has added this heavy bass bumping, beat mashing, pioneer of future electronic sound to the Mad Zoo roster for the label’s Winter Roadshow.

Adding a talent like Haywyre tells us a few things about what to expect from the Mad Zoo takeover:

1. Expect Bass –
With recent releases, Mat Zo is clearly demonstrating that trance won’t be a highlight of this show, although I’m sure the guru of the genre will find a way to incorporate those uplifting sounds into his sets one way or another.

2. Expect Energy –
The video shows it all. Adding Haywyre to the roster is clearly a logical step to facilitate an environment as uncontrollable and unpredictable as a circus. That being said…

3. Expect The Unexpected –
With Mat Zo and his crew, this is a given. This is why we go to a show associated with Mat Zo. This is why we are most excited for Mad Zoo.

We must say, however, that we are sad to see no Canadian dates as of yet – hopefully, by adding this Canadian heavyhitter to the list, that will change. Nonetheless, we congratulate Haywyre in what we are sure will be a very life-changing opportunity.

It all started with a tweet. LIV Miami resident Mednas tweeted earlier today that he had discovered an unnamed DJ slash producer slash charlatan had stolen his intellectual property. Not just any intellectual property. It happened to be his “iLL Behavior” collaboration with super-producer CID who’s NY based. In fact, it was claimed by Mednas the DJ in question even had the track name changed when you “Shazamed” the record. We came across the story and couldn’t help but do some digging.

Here’s what we found: The DJ’s name is DJ Serafin, real name Jeremy Jimenez. He’s an LA based “producer” who’s signed to Peak Hour Music. He apparently has a few dates booked and seems to have a semi-legitimate Facebook and Twitter presence. Seems to check out. Not so fast. It only took a little searching in iTunes (and Amazon) and Spotify to find the real zinger.

Millionaire DJ Dillon Francis would like you to know he has an album coming out. Not just any album. An album disingenuously titled “Money Sucks, Friends Rule” that he would like you to purchase with your hard earned money. In an interview with Radio.com, Dillon explained the genesis of the title.

When he was stuck on what to call his album, Francis’ manager reminded him of the T-shirt idea. “I called my manager one day, and I was like, ‘I want to make a shirt that says ‘money sucks, friends rule’ in the Warriors font,” he explained during an interview backstage at Coachella 2014, referencing the distinct spray paint font used on the movie poster for the 1979 New York gang war movie, The Warriors. When he was stuck on what to call his album, Francis’ manager reminded him of the T-shirt idea.“I was like, ‘that’s the best title for an album.’ Because I really feel that way. Friends are forever. Money isn’t.”

Think about that for a second. This is coming from a DJ (and the Windish Agency) who commands $40,0000 a show. That’s only $10,000 less than than the median household income according to recent statistics released by CNN. In fact, only 26% of households in the US make $80,000 a year or more. In a matter of a few shows, Dillon can match that figure assuming manager and agent still take their cut. The title is antithetical to the motif that “DJ Rich As F*ck” is attempting to advance to his adoring flock.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m all for artists making money. It’s no secret that it’s extremely hard to make a living being one. The barriers to entry are higher than ever. However, the title should be ridiculed, and ridiculed thoroughly. The joke isn’t on Dillon Francis. It’s on the fans who buy into this nonsense marketing. They’re so blinded by their love of the artist that it robs them of their ability to think critically and be a skeptic. Perhaps that’s asking too much of an “EDM” demographic steeped in rampant idealism and a penchant for low brow progressive house bangers re-packaged to them time and time again.

If Dillon truly believes that money sucks, he should give his album away for free.

Jake Udell. What can you say about him that that hasn’t already been said. He’s a highly respected force in the industry. From being mentioned in Bob Lefsetz’s letter to managing Krewella and ZHU, he’s carved a brand for himself, becoming what many have called a super-manager. That’s why the video above is so fascinating. In an interview with AskMen.com, Udell described his budding rap persona.

JU:Yes. That is the last thing I want to bring up in this interview, but my failed career as a recording artist was so essential into making me the manager I am today. When I was 19 the recession hit and people needed essentials like milk more than framed jerseys for their wall. It was the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college. I realized my goal was to have a voice. Rapping became the vehicle. The record was so bad, but it actually got radio play here in Chicago and other markets.

I could go on and on about Jake Udell and his interview with AskMen, but you’re going to have to read it yourself. A fascinating article about a fascinating person. Read the interview HERE.

Earlier today, our friends at DancingAstronaut.com uncovered some footage of model / DJ/ Instagram narcissist Natalia Paris “DJ’ing” at a gig in Mexico. Although she claims she’s using Traktor, it’s hard to explain away a video that so clearly shows a lack of mixing aptitude. The model / DJ concept is nothing new. Many in the booking world are smartly cashing in on it. In this case, Natalia Paris picked up a $10,000 check. Where there’s demand, supply will always follow. What do you think of her response? Pre-recorded set, or something else?

It is a hypothetical question to get your attention because the answer is yes, and here is why. I saw a side-by-side comparison a while ago and didn’t think too much of it, just an isolated incident of two songs that were made at the same time and released over the span of a few months. Then this Magnetic Mag article popped up in news feed today and I realized that this is much worse than I thought. So I decided to some more digging to try and get the full story and man it is rough. They all have the same kick, the same notes, the same Pryda snare at the exact moments in the drop — its almost like if you lined up the songs they would sound like one song. Oh wait, somebody did that and it is somewhat startling to hear the results.

To be fair, artists spend years developing a “signature” sound and once they find it, they aren’t going to deviate too far from it, especially in the early stages of their professional career. However, in this case, you see a cop and paste mentality, where almost no care goes into creating a new complete idea with each song. Instead it is a lazy reliance on what has worked in the past with no attempt to take risks or try something new. Us calling out Vinai for the pretty blatant lack of creativity probably won’t do much to dent their meteoric rise in the last year, that is up to the fans. It is up to them to decide whether or not they want to continue hearing the same song over and over again and the time when they say enough is enough may come sooner than Vinai would like.

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You heard me right. What’s the deal with bragging about DJ support? I’ve know you’ve seen it… “SUPPORTED BY” in those terrible press releases. Perhaps the most hilarious offender is Spinnin’ Records. I’m sure this will ruffle their feathers, but no one is above reproach on this site. Take a gander at the description section on their Youtube page. They always include “DJ feedback”. This is the worst.